Close Encounter....

Close encounter of the carnaby kind as two carnaby cockatoos dropped in for a meal. 

When I first saw the movement in one of the acacia saligna trees I wondered what it was. First I thought it was one of the fledgling crows, but much to my delight it was a carnaby cockatoo. The saligna trees have all been struggling and many have died this year. 

Now thanks to this pair of cockatoos I understand why. 

Watching the pair as they bit into the bark of the trees after larvae of insects that had been laid under the bark. 

They both seemed oblivious to my presence as they ripped off pieces of bark in search of the larvae they were after. I have a lot of work to do in cutting back the dying trees, but very grateful that these helpful gardeners might have given me the answer as to why these trees died in the first place.....